Universal Healthcare and Freedom

Today Rush Limbaugh (yes I listen to Limbaugh and Hannity and others, I guess as a form of self-punishment) said that Obama didn't inherit an economic mess he created the economic mess. He also said that if Obama gets Universal Healthcare passed that will be the end of the American Dream. What the far right wing either fails to understand or refuses to understand is that Universal Healthcare will create freedom and not just for people but for businesses as well and don't forget the hard right are the only people in America against Universal Healthcare at this point.

"Business groups, meanwhile, mostly are working behind the scenes to shape the legislation...few are trying to block health care reform at this point. The cost of health insurance has become so burdensome that something needs to be done, they agree."

If everyone has healthcare they have the freedom to get sick. I know that sounds crazy, but for a large population in America they just don't have the option to get sick. In the greatest country in the world there is simply no reason that poor people should live shorter lives than rich people. Right now people with no health insurance only go to the doctor when it is too late to do anything to help them. They simply don't have the option of preventative care. If anyone believes we don't have socialized medicine now they are living in a state of denial. As it stands when a person without insurance goes to the emergency room they don't pay but the rest of us do. Why not pay that money up front and save much larger long term costs and oh by the way, help people live longer?

Here's something fun, Universal Healthcare may help the economy. "What if GM, Chrysler and Ford moved all their operations to Canada? In 2007 General Motors spent $4.6 billion on health care for its employees. Ford and Chrysler each spent $2.2 billion as well. If those companies moved to Canada they would save all that in health care costs ($9 billion per year), and the United States would lose 240,000 jobs and $156 billion in tax revenue."

That's a crazy idea! Instead of taking things away from workers to help save Detroit, maybe we take healthcare costs away from the company and they can save themselves. Auto companies are not the only businesses that would benefit, especially if we go to a single-payer option.

"$1.13 trillion dollars that American companies are spending on health care each and every year. This is more than the national budgets of France, Canada and the UK combined. If that isn't a drag on our competitiveness, what is?"

A single-payer system would be a bigger, more positive jolt to the economy than any stimulus could ever be.

"In summary, the non-profit, single payer, people-funded, people-managed insurance agency proposed in the book, Universal Health Care System for the United States of America, saves our economy and keeps 1.7 million jobs in the U.S. and results in savings of at least $1.3 trillion per year for our manufacturing and other businesses. This is how we can have an even playing field for our industrial base and provide good jobs for our hard-working work force. At the same time we will have healthier people who are free from anxiety regarding their health care."